Home
by SufferingThePretences
Summary: A story I wanted to do about Edd's past. No pairings. Virtually no fluff unless you imagine it--and feel free to! My first step into the EEnE fandom--enjoy! Full of things that will make your stomach happy--guaranteed!


Wow, am I updating? Yes. Yes I am. I've been getting really into Edd/Eddy, so please forgive me! But I am going to take a break from my ZADR obsession. Just for a little while. Until...until the spark comes back. I just feel that the love between us has drifted, y'know?

Anyway, here's my intro to my first tentative steps into the Edd/Eddy fandom. This one isn't really slashy at all, it's just a little thing I threw together. It took me about an hour to write (granted that I took a break to eat some Chinese food). So you all better enjoy it. LOVE THIS FIC! LOVE IT NOW!

Okay, I'll stop distracting you guys now. Enjoy, and please tell me what you think! Critiques are welcomed with open arms!

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**Home**

Here in his world of words and numbers, the boy had never felt so at home. Real life was all well and good, but it was so confusing, so fast, so...thoughtless. He much preferred his land of mathematics, histories, essays, music, recipes, and books. Endlessly books!

His friends were there--or more accurately, his acquaintances. Food was there. Knowledge was there. SO much knowledge for him to grasp at. His mind would hungrily soak up any and every fact he came across. Was there anything else he hadn't learned yet? He would keep searching until he found every unknown fact.

When the bell rang at the end of the day--as it always, always did--he would mournfully pack up his things and return to the real world. Because, really, what else was he to do? There was nothing left for him once the bell rang. Nothing for him in the world once that bell rang.

His friends all had better things to do, and besides, the boy always sought the sanctity of his room more than he ever had the closeness of another human being. That was where he could pull the drapes closed, and switch on a dimmer light. Where he could forget the world, and its woes. His room was small, even by his standards--as he was only six years old. He knew his house was small too. Even though it was big for him right now, he saw how small it was for his parents, and he knew one day it would be like that for him too.

The boy would always walk himself home, of course. He knew the way, and his parents were busy. So very, very busy. He didn't really mind, though. He didn't care that all he found in the mornings was a sticky note that had those three words, 'We love you.' written on it in such neat print. He didn't mind in the slightest. It only meant more time for himself. More time to be away from the real world for however long he could manage.

Then came the day his parents had told him they were moving. He was reluctant at first--this was the home he'd known for six years! But, really, what did he have here? When he thought about it, he didn't really have anything or anyone to keep him here. it was like...taking a sapling from the ground before it had time to properly attach itself with its roots. It was so easy to leave. There were no tearful goodbyes, either. Just a handshake from a few people, and a pat on the shoulder from his teacher.

No one ever patted his head once they saw what was under his hat. It didn't bother him, though. he knew he was repulsive. He knew that once the hat came off, he was just an ugly monster from some macabre movie, book, or play. No one ever said it out loud, but that was okay, because he knew it was what all of the adults were thinking when his parents told them. He was just a freak. It had been an accident--the burn hadn't been his fault. But it was still there. Just because it hadn't been his fault didn't make it any less ugly or intrusive.

But it never bothered him. He didn't really care. Why should he? At the end of every day, he had his own reality to return to. He didn't need anyone else.

The new house was a lot bigger than the old one. It had a lot more rooms, and even an upstairs. The boy had never seen so many stairs in his short life--except in pictures. He had been overjoyed to walk up them and down them again. Over and over and over again. And his parents had watched with such smiles on their faces. Such happy smiles they wore. It made his so happy.

Eventually they had told him he should go outside and meet friends. They would be gone a lot more often now, and they thought he should meet people. So he wouldn't be so alone.

_Friends?_ he had thought. Why would he need to meet people? He had his own little world. He had his numbers, his history, his words; he had everything he needed.

They had insisted, though, and he had obliged. They were his elders, after all. They would know what was best for their own son.

When he had gone outside, he could see across the Cull-De-sac (as that was what it was called, and he was very proud that he knew that fact. He would flaunt it whenever necessary.) two kids playing next to what looked like a crudely-made lemonade stand. Only the sign said "Bottomwess Ed" in terrible handwriting, and with a few letters backwards. The boy gathered the gist of it, though, and started across the street; his heart on his sleeve as always.

"Salutations!" he called, waving at the boys. They looked at him like he was speaking French, but he continued anyway, "My family just moved here! We live in the house just across from here!"

The first to speak back to him was a stocky little boy wearing an overly-large t-shirt that looked more like a dress on him. He was very chubby, his cheeks a perpetual rosy-red, and his eyes sly.

"My name's Eddy, and this here's Ed!" he gestured to the boy next to them, who was almost a foot taller that either of them would ever be, and was wearing just a diaper and a small, fitted striped T-shirt. the boy smiled a large, goofy grin, "Nice ta meet ya!" Here the boy--Eddy--held out a hand that obviously had a "joy-buzzer" strapped to it. The other boy--Ed--mimicked him, holding out a dirty hand that looked like it was never washed. He smiled even larger--which didn't seem at all possible--only one tooth sticking out of his mouth.

"A pleasure to meet you!" the boy said as he shook Eddy's hand by only the fingers to avoid being zapped, and put a surgical glove--as he always carried a few on his person in case he ever had to handle something with germs on it--over Ed's hand, shaking it as well, "My name is Edd also, but with two "d"s!" He added smartly, remembering the sign. He ignored the fact that it could have been a typo, and was never corrected, because he was right anyway.

"Well, ain't _that _a co-inky-dink?" the chubby boy said then, the Edd's delight. The taller boy giggled very good-nurtured, and Edd immediately knew that he liked the duo.

"indeed!" he agreed, and the two looked cluelessly at him once again. He didn't mind, though. Why should he?

"Wanna see something _amazing_, kid?" Eddy asked, and Edd nodded eagerly, looking from one boy to the other with excitement, "Well then _watch_, and be amazed as Bottomwess Ed here devours this _entire_ TV set! For _you_--only a quarter!" he went on, holding out one of those miniature jam jars.

And with those words, everything changed for Edd. No longer did he have to retreat to that other realm of books and study--though to tell the truth he sometimes did anyway. For nostalgia's sake.

He wasn't alone anymore. he had friends--and ones that would hand out with him after school was out. Ones that laughed _with_him instead of at him, played games with him, defended him from bullies, and talked with him. These friends noted his traits, and didn't belittle him for his lack of strength. Often they would commend him on having such an extensive knowledge--though others they seemed to be telling him off for it.

These friends seemed to understand him.

They never really asked him about what was under his hat--though once Ed had gotten into his head an interesting theory that Edd was an alien. And when they finally _did_ see the burn he always hid, they hardly flinched. They were shocked--of course, but once they got over the initial blow, they didn't even ask about it. Not an ounce of pity was sent his way because of it.

And it made him so happy.

Even after they had seen that terrible scar...they didn't even flinch when they touched his first time after they had seen, he had watched for it on Eddy's face. Watched for the cringe, the grimace, the revulsion...but it never came. The same with Ed. They didn't even seem to care, and afterwards Edd thought he had been acting rather silly. Because, really, why should they?

And that's just the way he wanted it.

The seclusion he'd felt before he met them never returned, really. He was never without a friend from that point on, even if he fought with one. Because the other would always be there.

And here, in this world of laughs, jibes, jokes,scams, fears,joys, sadness, friendship, and--dare he say it--_love_...

...he had never felt so at home.

**-End-**

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Aw, ain't it cute? Makes you want to puke everywhere, doesn't it? Yeah, I figured I should end it there before it got even more heartwarming. That's enough for me, thank you.

And it's weird, because I always--as a rule--write angst. So, yeah, I wouldn't expect much angst from this fandom if I were you.

Thank you for reading this! It makes you an awesome person!

And you know what else would be awesome? If you hit that button down there and reviewed this! Because I'd really like to know what you think, and I'm always trying to improve! I don't care if it's anonymous, I'd just like to hear your opinions!

(tirelessy spellchecked! If you spot any errors, tell me! Dx)

So, review, please! And thank you in advance to those people who will review! ;D


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